This winter, don't just turn up the dial and hope for heat. Prep your home to make sure you're getting the most out of your heating system. The experts at Stack Exchange DIY tell you how with these ten tips.

Question:

What are some DIY ways to increase the efficiency of a forced air heating system?

1: Hand-held Thermal Sensor

Look for cold spots in your home. A room that tends to stay cold, despite your attempts to keep it warm is a signal of trouble. A nice tool for all such problems is the hand-held thermal sensor you can now buy, like this Black and Decker Thermal leak detector. Just aim it at a spot on a wall, ceiling, etc., and click the button. It gives you the temperature. Now move the sensing spot around, and look for cold spots. This can tell you if you have missing insulation in a wall cavity, or a spot of cold air entry into your home. Use this to decide to add weather stripping to a window or door for example, or to inject foam insulation into a deficient wall cavity, or simply to help you balance warm air flow through your heating system.